Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1887-01-08
CHRISTMAS.
When Instituted and How Honorcd-
Its Carols and Traditions.

NcCplnS OI SITlSCsl1ttS. III ItldIy
instances il has parted wide from
the object of its establishment, but
in all instances it has had many
pleasing features. Christmas la
tile has become as frequent anl un
ique as the story of mythology.
Poetry has been evoked to add to
the zeSt and Importance Of tho
solemnity, until all Christian ma
tions have their volumes ofChrist-
mas carols. The most amusing
and quaint lore that can be found,
refers to the celebration of Christ
mas. 1t is not to be regretted that
the conceits respecting the day
have been. so numerous, that the
occasion has proven so prolific a
source of humors. They only serve
to establish tho Importance Of a
holiday of some kind, and prove
that relaxation from toll conduceS
to play of the fancy.
The Mass of (Christ-mas) is at
tributcd to Pope Telcsphorus who
died A. d. 1873. 1t was not only a
movable festival when first inStitu
ted but the most movable of all the
festivals, SO that among Eastern
churches especially, twas frequent
r. c0ntounded with other festivals
or feasts, as for instance with that
of Epiphany, and WAS celebrated as
late as the month Of April.
Or account Of this uncertainty,
POPE Julius |. at the solicitation of
St. Cyril of Jerusalem, appointed a
commission sometime during the
fourth century to ascertain the pre-
else day of Christ's birth, with a
view OF fixing The festival OF Christ
mas, as well as that of Epiphany
which was designed TO be on the
twelfth day after Christmas in CON
iornIity with the legend of the
star OF Magi on the twelfth day af-
ter Christ's birth.
After full investigation of all the
accessible authorities. the twenty
fifth of December was agreed upon
as the probable: date of our Sa
viour's birth, though the necessity
Tor IN agreement OF some kind had
perhaps more to do with fixing Il
precise date, than any di,ect evil
dence TO the effect that December
twenty fifth was without doubt the
right time.
After this determination Of the
birthday, the festival took a higher
rank, and by the sixth century the
custom, which still appertains, was
instituted, of celebrating three
masses, one at midnight, in accor--
dance with the legend that the
birth took place at that hour; one
ut dawn, and the third at an after
hour i'll the morning. The day was
10 be regarded as one of holy com
II emoratlon aud cheerful festival.
business was suspended and merri
1nent was licensed.
The sanction of the church once
given to holiday cheer, we can
readily conceive how productive
the crop OF Christmas f;lncies and
humors would be, among people
as prone to Gaiety these nt Of
ali sorts Of extravaganceS. SoIesihfHH
professions became fantastic spec
tacles, strange, inhaTmonious and
uttentimes revolving blendingS Of
mysteries and moralities. Repre-.
stntatiOn became carlcature, and
the dramatispersonae were masked
characters as grotesque as these
who participate in The orgies Of
BacchuS.
When the common people ceased
to understand Latin, and the light
OF learning was confined to the
cloister, we find Christmas litera
tire spring up in the the shape Of
carols, which bore a iancied re
semblance to the supposed songs Of
tie shepherds as chanted on the
night OF Christ's birth. The cler-
81 fervently joined in these caro-
lingS of the populace, and tLey
were accompanied with dances and
the music OF cl mbal, tambour and
guitar.
Many collections Of these carols
have been made, the most celebra-
ted of which are those Of the Welsh.
1t is still the custom Of Calabrian
MINISTRIES to come down to the Holy
City from their mountain Businesses,
on the eve of Christmas, and to Sa-
lutte the shr.nes ofthe Virgin Moth
er with their wild chants, under.
tile poetic notion that they cheer
her until the blrth-hOur of her sd
cred son.
Throughout England, and the
Continent, ii is the custom to ring
church bells at the hour OF mid,
night, and after the celebration Of
nlaSs III the churches of France and
Italy, which are magnificently
adorned for the occasion, Il repast
is partaken Of in order that the
watchers may be better able to en-.
dule the fatigues of the night.
What were called december
liberties in the countries of south
ern Europe, became SO frolicsome,
ridiculous and positively indecent
as to lead to Il rcvulslon in popular
sentiment. At the advento of Prot.
cstan,lsn, We, accordingly End es
peclally i'll Germany, almost dis
continuance of the Christmas teStiy-
tiles SO far as adults were concerned
though after being remodeled they
were conducted by, or on behalf of